Safe

ABSTRACT

A valuables container having a fireproof door is slidably fitted into a cylindrical fireproof chamber of a safe. A dial and cylinder locks are affixed to a pedestal upon which the cylindrical chamber rests, rather than being affixed to the door so that no flame enters into the container through the locks in case of fire, whereby the resistance to fire of the safe is much improved.

United. States Patent Inventor Yu Fujiki Tokyo, Japan Appl. No. 2 8,612 Filed Apr. 15, 1970 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 Assignee Ricoh Watch CO., Ltd.

Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, Japan Priority Apr. 18, 1969 Japan 44/35615 SAFE 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 109/31, 109/52 E05g 3/00 Field of Search 109/52, 50,

Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorneys-Henry T. Burke, Robert Scobey, Robert S.

Dunham, P. E. Henninger, Lester W. Clark, Gerald W. Griffin, Thomas F. Moran, R. Bradlee Boal and Christopher C. Dunham ABSTRACT: A valuables container having a fireproof door is slidably fitted into a cylindrical fireproof chamber of a safe. A dial and cylinder locks are affixed to a pedestal upon which the cylindrical chamber rests, rather than being affixed to the door so that no flame enters into the container through the locks in case of fire, whereby the resistance to fire of the safe is much improved.

PATENTED mm 5197! 3,610,176

sum 1 OF 2 INVENTOR YU FUJ/K/ PATENTEUum SIB?! $610,176

sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR YU FUJ/K/ SAFE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a safe and, more particularly, to a safe according to which the container into which valuables are deposited is slidably fitted into a cylindrical fire proof chamber. I

In the conventional safe, the lock, the hinge for mounting the door, the alarming device and so on are generally directed affixed to the door, so that the fire resistance agent cannot be sufficiently packed in the portions of the door at which these parts are installed. Therefore, there is a distinct defect present in that, when the safe is exposed to the fire, heat is transmitted through these structural parts to the valuable in the container, so that they are burnt even when the chamber or outer shell of the safe including the above structural parts are made of a sufficiently fire-resistive material. Furthermore, it is preferable that the safe lock not be directly affixed to the door because a burglar may readily break it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide a safe whose door has no safe lock and no hinges.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a safe which provides much greater protection than conventional safes against fire and implements resorted to by a burglar.

According to the present invention, a container into which are deposited the valuables is slidably fitted into a cylindrical fireproof chamber or shell of the safe and a safe door is formed as an integral part of the container so that the safe door is moved together with the container. The safe locking mechanism is installed in a pedestal upon which rests the cylindrical chamber or shell, rather than being conventionally affixed to the safe door. Since the safe door is slidable together with the container relative to the cylindrical chamber, no hinges or the like are required to install the safe door.

The fife-locking mechanism includes a rod which is extendible upwardly by an actuating member disposed in the pedestal and fitted into a recess formed in the undersurface of the container so that the container is locked to the cylindrical chamber. The rod is in turn locked by a cylinder and/or dial safe locks. If required, an alarm device may be installed between the cylindrical chamber and the pedestal.

The safe door of the safe in accordance with the present invention has no locking mechanism, hinges, alarm device, etc. so that the safe door may have a resistance to fire substantially the same as that of the cylindrical chamber, and the lock mechanism cannot be broken by a burglar. Thus, the safe of the invention provides excellent protection against fire and burglars. A clock or any other suitable ornament may be fixed to the safe door so that the safe may have an improved design and appearance.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a safe in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the opened safe;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cylindrical chamber of the safe;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pedestal upon which the cylindrical chamber rests;

FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating the slide members of a container into which are deposited the valuables and which is slidably fitted into the cylindrical chamber; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a safe-locking mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now the drawing, there will be seen in the perspective view of FIG. 1 an embodiment of a safe in accordance with the present invention. A cylindrical fireproof chamber A is shown resting upon a pedestal D which has a front cover 17. The safe door 10 is shown with a clock 20 mounted on its front surface.

As seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the cylindrical chamber A comprises a cylindrical wall 1 and a rear wall 2 and is packed with a fire-resistance agent 3. A guide 5 is securely fixed by pins 6 to the inner bottom surface 4 of the cylindrical wall I and a slide member 9, having a projection 7 formed at the rear end thereof and an opening 8 formed at the front end thereof, is slidably fitted into this guide 5. The projection or detent 7 of the slide member 9 engages with one of the pins 6 so that the slide member 9 may be prevented from being pulled out of the guide 5 (See FIG. 5). A door 10 is afi'ixed to a semicylindrical container B into which are placed moneys, papers and other valuables. At the bottom of the outer surface 11 of the container B there is securely fixed a slide member 13 which has a' plate spring 12 and engages with the slide member 9 in such a manner that when the container B, together with the door 10, is pulled out of the cylindrical chamber A, the plate spring 12 engages with the opening 8, thereby preventing the container B from being completely pulled out of the cylindrical chamber A.

The safe having the above-described construction is rested upon the pedestal D. An alarm device 14 is fixed to the upper surface 18 of the pedestal D and a dial lock 15 and a cylinder lock 16 are affixed to the front wall. The front cover 17, having an arcuated upper side edge 19, is pivotably fixed to the pedestal D at the lower side edge of the cover 17, so that when it is raised, it may cover the front of the pedestal D as shown in FIG. 1.

The clock 20 (FIG. 1) installed upon the door I0 may be replaced with any suitable ornament. When a locking rod 21 (See FIG. 4 and 6) is pushed upwardly by operating a suitable actuating member (not shown), the locking rod 21 engages with a recess (not shown) formed in the bottom of the container B so that the latter is locked in position. Thereafter, the safe is locked by either one or both of the dial lock 15 and the cylinder lock 16 whose key is designated by 25. Since the locking mechanism C does not constitute the essential part of the present invention further description will not be made.

When the cover 17 is rotated to its raised position so as to cover the front of the pedestal D, it is held in position by means of a magnet 22. The clock 20 or any other ornament may be fixed in position by screws 23 to the door 10. The alarm device 14 is electrically connected to a suitable power source (not shown) by a plug 24.

Next, the mode of operation of the safe will be described. After the dial lock 15 and the cylinder lock 16 are unlocked, the locking rod 21 is pushed downwardly by the actuating member (not shown) and the door 10 is pulled forwardly. Then, either one or both of the slide members 9 and 13 slide and the container B, together with the integral door 10, is pulled forwardly out of the cylindrical chamber A, but since the detents 6 and 7 engage with each other and the plate spring 12 engages with the opening 8, the door 10 and the container B are prevented from being completely pulled out of the cylindrical chamber A. When the door 10 is pushed backwardly, the slide members 9 and 13 slide and the container B is pushed into the cylindrical chamber A and the door 10 closes the front thereof. Next, the rod 21 is pushed upwardly in manner described above and thereafter the dial lock 15 and/or the cylinder lock 16 are locked.

I claim: 1

1. A safe comprising a fireproof cylindrical chamber comprising a cylindrical wall and a rear wall,

a container for storing therein valuables slidably movable with respect to said cylindrical chamber and including a fireproof door as an integral part of said container and located at the front thereof,

a guide securely fixed to the inner surface of said cylindrical chamber,

a slide member securely fixed to the outer surface of said container,

detent means for preventing disengagement of said slide member from said guide due to relative movement therebetween,

a pedestal upon which rests said cylindrical chamber, and

means affixed to said pedestal for locking said container in position from the outside of said container.

2. A safe as defined in claim 1 wherein at least another slide member is fitted over said guide and said first-mentioned slide member, and said detent means prevents disengagement of both of said slide members from said guide.

3. A safe as defined in claim 1 wherein an alarm device is interposed between said cylindrical chamber and said pedestal.

4. A safe as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for preventing disengagement between both of said slide members and said guide comprises at least either of detent means each extending from each of said slide members for engagement with each other, or a projection and an opening which engages said projection.

5. A safe as defined in claim 1 wherein said container is locked in position by a rod extending from said pedestal. 

1. A safe comprising a fireproof cylindrical chamber comprising a cylindrical wall and a rear wall, a container for storing therein valuables slidably movable with respect to said cylindrical chamber and including a fireproof door as an integral part of said container and located at the front thereof, a guide securely fixed to the inner surface of said cylindrical chamber, a slide member securely fixed to the outer surface of said container, detent means for preventing disengagement of said slide member from said guide due to relative movement therebetween, a pedestal upon which rests said cylindrical chamber, and means affixed to said pedestal for locking said container in position from the outside of said container.
 2. A safe as defined in claim 1 wherein at least another slide member is fitted over said guide and said first-mentioned slide member, and said detent means prevents disengagement of both of said slide members from said guide.
 3. A safe as defined in claim 1 wherein an alarm device is interposed between said cylindrical chamber and said pedestal.
 4. A safe as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for preventing disengagement between both of said slide members and said guide comprises at least either of detent means each extending from each of said slide members for engagement with each other, or a projection and an opening which engages said projection.
 5. A safe as defined in claim 1 wherein said container is locked in position by a rod extending from said pedestal. 